The invention relates to an integrated connector and positive thermal coefficient switch. More particularly, the present invention is a connector that is used to communicate with or supply power to a printed circuit board in which the connector has a positive thermal coefficient switch contained therein.
In the rapid development of computers many advancements have been seen in the areas of processor speed, throughput, communications, and fault tolerance. Today an entire computer can fit into the palm of a hand that are known as palm computers and personal digital assistants do. In a larger cabinet peripherals may also be included in the computer system that once filled entire rooms. However, regardless of size of the cabinet or the usage a printed circuit board serves, space is always at a premium on a printed circuit board. This would particularly be the case for a baseboard (motherboard) in which a microprocessor, memory, communications interface, and peripheral interfaces are attached thereto. However, it would also be the case for the peripheral and communication""s interfaces that would often be placed on separate boards. Further, the printed circuit board serves the primary function of establishing communications between chips placed on the printed circuit board and possibly other boards. Therefore, a paramount concern in printed circuit board design is the communications and power lines and their layout on the surface of the printed circuit board or in the embedded layers of the printed circuit board and communications between one layer and another in the printed circuit board.
FIG. 1A is an example of a side view of a printed circuit board (PCB) 10 having a connector 30 and surface mounted positive thermal coefficient switches 20 contained therein. The positive thermal coefficient switch 20 is required to cut off power or communications in a connector lead (not shown) when the amount of current passing through the connector lead exceeds the thermal coefficient of the positive thermal coefficient switch 20. These positive thermal coefficient switches 20 are required in an order to protect the circuitry on the printed circuit board 10.
FIG. 1B is an example of a side view of a printed circuit board 10 having a through hole mount (THM) embedded positive thermal coefficient switch 20. FIG. 1B is similar to FIG. 1A with the exception that FIG. 1B has the positive thermal crustaceans switch 20 through the printed circuit boad 10. Therefore, no further discussion of FIG. 1B will be provided here.
FIG. 2 is an example of a top view of a printed circuit board 10 having a through hole or surface mounted positive thermal coefficient switches 20. In this figure several leads/traces 40 are connected to the connector 30 and are either through the printed circuit board 10 or on the surface thereof. Attached to the numerous leads/traces 40 are positive thermal coefficient switches 20 which are either through or surface mounted. As indicated in the figure, not all leads/traces 40 have a positive thermal coefficient switch 20 attached thereto. However, each positive thermal coefficient switch 20 takes up space either in or on the printed circuit board 10 and further obstructs the close placement of lead/traces 40.
FIG. 3 is an example of a top view of a printed circuit board 10 having an embedded or surface mounted positive thermal coefficient switches 20. FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, with the exception that three leads/traces 40 interconnect prior to entering connector 30. It should further be noted that in spite of a common connection each individual lead/traces 40 is required to have its own positive thermal coefficient switch 20. This adds to the space required for positive thermal coefficient switches 20 on the printed circuit board 10 and also limits the number of lead/traces 40 which can be placed adjacent to each other on the printed circuit board 10.
Therefore, what is required is a device that will eliminate the need to for positive thermal coefficient switches being placed on the surface of or through a printed circuit board. This device should free up space on the printed circuit board and enable a higher concentration of leads/traces being placed on an embedded printed circuit board.